A family therapist works with families, couples, and individuals to observe interactions and find ways for each member to understand each other. They can work in private practice, hospitals, or the public health system. The therapist aims to address dysfunctional areas of interaction and help families communicate more clearly. Reasons for seeking therapy can vary.
A family therapist is a trained and licensed counselor who can come from many different fields or training designations. These therapists may be called marriage and family therapists (MFTs), clinical social workers (LCSWs), marriage, family and children counselors (MFCCs), psychologists or psychiatrists. It might be obvious to state that a family therapist works with families or couples, but they can also work with individuals.
Family therapists can work in a variety of contexts. Many of them work in private practice, and others may work in general hospitals or in hospitals for the mentally ill. Some therapists not only provide counseling but also teach or supervise other therapists. The public health system may employ some family therapists to provide counseling to low-income families or to help shape public policy and build educational materials for families. There are many different ways that a family therapist can go about their work.
The name family therapist does not perfectly describe the occupation – few therapists commit their entire practice to counseling groups rather than individuals. Most therapists will offer counseling to a variety of people, either in groups or individually. They have been trained in school and practice the differences between counseling a group of people and counseling a single person.
In the context of working with families or couples, the therapist may conduct therapy sessions with all parties at the same time. If the therapist is really working with multiple members of a family, this would mean having sessions with all members present. Sometimes the family therapist may first work with the parents to understand what the family is looking for. When working with couples, a family therapist may see each member of the couple separately first or choose to work with them together.
The aim of family therapy is to observe the way individuals interact, find ways for each family member to understand each other, and use some instruction to help families communicate more clearly. Essentially, the family therapist looks for areas of interaction that are dysfunctional, where the family or couple suffers from dysfunction. In session, the therapist can help families see areas where the group does not work well together, and try to address these in a variety of ways.
There are several reasons why a family or couple may seek therapy. A specific crisis may be ongoing or the family just wants to find more constructive ways of relating. The work for the family therapist can therefore be extremely varied, as each group or individual client presents different challenges and is unique.
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